This was supposed to be a homecoming for Connor Zilisch, but it all came undone due to a series of unfortunate events. The North Carolina native strapped into the No. 31 Whelen car for Action Express Racing along with his teammates, determined to win the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona. However, Lady Luck had her way this time. Zilisch is left reminiscing about what could have been.

Falling short of being a champion at Daytona’s IMSA event, Zilisch definitely felt the sting of being a runner-up.

“P2 overall in the Rolex 24! Unfortunate to come up 1 spot short, but what a rollercoaster of a race to come back from. So proud of the entire Whelen Cadillac team for all of their efforts. A pleasure to be a part of this team with @jaitkenracer, @earlbamber, and @frederikvestiofficial. Onto the NASCAR season!”

Connor Zilisch’s 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona ended in heartbreak, not because the Whelen Cadillac lacked speed, but because the race’s cruelest moments arrived at the worst possible time.

The race offered an edge-of-your-seat finale, with the team chasing the lead in the final hour but ultimately falling just 1.5 seconds short of first place.

The No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R, piloted by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederic Vesti, and Zilisch, recovered from being a lap down early in the race and fought back through a caution-shortened opening hours to put themselves in contention as the sun set over Daytona International Speedway.

The 24-hour endurance classic was anything but smooth. A record 6+ hours under caution due to dense fog kept the field bunched up and tested the stamina of drivers and crews alike, with many long stretches spent at slow speed before green-flag racing resumed in earnest.

And Zilisch was the one in the car for 4 hours of the 6-and-a-half-hour-long caution, driving at around 65 mph.

“Absolutely boring,” Zilisch said of the slow caution laps post-race. “Probably the most miserable hours I’ve spent in a race car.”

In the final hour, Aitken pushed hard to reel in the leading Penske-run car, nearly making the decisive move on more than one occasion, but the margin remained just beyond reach despite an intense late charge.

For Zilisch, the result was a bittersweet return to the top class of IMSA’s competition.

After his historic LMP2 class win at Daytona as a 17-year-old in 2024, expectations were high entering this year’s Rolex, and the team’s pace showed they had the potential to fight for overall victory.

But in endurance racing, especially a race that sees long weather delays or caution, fortunes can change quickly, and the Cadillac squad just missed out on converting pace into a triumph on the final laps.

However, Penske saw it as a moment to shine and outdid Zilisch’s team.

While this sting may remain for a while, the 19-year-old knows what loss feels like. The then JR Motorsports driver came agonizingly close to clinching his first-ever Xfinity title, just for the playoff system to derail his chances.

However, Zilisch is also known for not backing down, and as he brushes himself off, the NASCAR Cup rookie is all set for his first-ever Cup Series run with Trackhouse Racing. But as his primary focus remains the Cup Series, Zilisch isn’t ruling out his long-standing dream of racing in Formula One.

Zilisch shifts focus to NASCAR while keeping F1 option open

So far, the North Carolina native has prioritized building his NASCAR career before considering a move towards Formula One. However, on Saturday, he reaffirmed that stock car racing is his main focus, while still keeping the possibility of one day competing for Cadillac in F1 open.

“That’s something I dreamed of as a kid,” he said at the Daytona event. “If I have a very successful first few years in NASCAR, it’s not something I wouldn’t say no to… I love what I’m doing in NASCAR as well. It’s so much fun to get to race on the biggest stage in America…I’m certainly excited and involved in everything I’m doing in the NASCAR world, and it’s got my attention at this time with 38 weekends. You never know, one day, if that opportunity comes about and I feel like I’ve done all I needed to do this side of the pond, I would definitely think about it.”

Before fully committing to stock cars, the 19-year-old phenom built a diverse and impressive foundation in open-wheel and road racing that set him apart from young American talent.

He began karting at age 5 and went on to compete internationally, including racing in Europe and capturing multiple national championships, highlighted by becoming the first American ever to win the CIK-FIA Karting Academy trophy.

Hence, the inclination to Formula One isn’t new. However, his FIA license didn’t come through due to missed driver points, as he lost out on the Xfinity title. Now, Zilisch will have to make up those points in the Cup Series to attain the Super License for F1.

And with Zilisch’s determination and talent, anything is possible.